Case Studies November 2017

Baldwin, Louisiana, a tiny town in the southern part of the state, is small in both size and population. It measures just 3.2 square miles and is home to just over 2,000 residents. But key industries, including carbon black processing—a little known but important chemical powder—and sugar mills, anchor businesses like SAS Construction Inc., a […]

When Chris Knollmeyer drives around Boston and the surrounding towns, he can point to buildings he’s helped build or maintain. There’s the iconic Custom House in Boston’s financial district, historic condos in Boston’s Back Bay, Betty Power Public Library in the city’s Roxbury neighborhood, the roof on Harvard University’s Gund Hall. After a lifetime in […]

Even the most ambitious company has got to know its limits, especially when overmatched by industry giants. It might prove better to specialize in a couple of areas rather than spreading the corporate capability too thin. Upon careful review, BlueNRGY Group Limited opted to do just that this past spring, finally phasing out the more […]

Time was when the potential of solar panels wasn’t widely recognized by conventional builders. It took a young generation to see the light, and among them was Richard Bergman, who, during the late 1970s, would become one of the solar energy pioneers in the Buffalo, New York, area. “I was the first green-certified builder in […]

Under the best of conditions, a painstakingly long and expensive process—on average, 10 years and $2.6 billion—awaits any prescription drug seeking to achieve regulatory approval. There are the research and discovery phases, the preclinical testing, the initial application to the Food and Drug Administration, several rounds of clinical testing, final new drug application and follow-up […]

As Jon Wesley “Wes” Treder scrolls through the many applications for the San Luis Obispo International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers’ (IBEW LU639) five-year apprenticeship program, he can’t help but notice a serious lack of hands-on experience. “There are kids coming through who don’t know how to use a tape measure, or understand what a sixteenth […]

You hear a lot about sustainability whenever construction or engineering is discussed nowadays. It’s a buzzword and well it should be. Resources aren’t unlimited, and progressive companies don’t want anything going to waste. It’s not just environmentally irresponsible, it’s bad business to boot. Heating ventilation and air conditioning manufacturer, supplier and servicer Trane adds another […]